How do you feed your goats through the winter?

[ahahahni1]

I now have 10 dairy goats (three are standard size rest are minis). I live in a mild winter area southwest of Ft Worth. They are on a 5 acre coastal field which I just moved them too so it is quite tall and thick still. Still some green since we haven't had a hard freeze just frost as of yet. How much goat feed and hay should I feed them? And should I just feed coastal hay or alfalfa too?

[HappyFarmer]

What I feed in the winter will be different from what you feed due to availability, climate, and the output I expect from my herd(i.e. meat vs. milk or fiber).

We offer free choice hay whenever our pastures are not producing at peak level(now till April!). We also offer free choice minerals & kelp, and depending on the season a protein block, and grain. Who gets what and how much depends on each goat & what stage they at(age, re-production status, gender, etc.). We spend time in each pasture daily and can see how each group is doing on the rations provided. We make adjustments as needed.

Hopefully someone in your locality will respond soon with more details for your area, and for dairy goats specifically.

HF

[deafgoatlady]

I feed my goats differently in the winter time. Becuz I am not milking them since they are dried up. U know. I give them lots of hay as free choice and smaller amount of grain once a day. That is all I do..

[Bear44]

I feed mine hay free choice,about 2lbs grain ea,mineral block plus selinium block.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

What are your goats doing? Mine are milking and bred, so grain on the milkstand, alfalfa pellets in the feeders, minerals to deal with our copper defficency problems in texas, and grass hay out. As they stop being milked in December they will be eating all of the above minus the grain. 50 days until bred I slowly start them back on grain until they are eating about 1 pound the day they kid.

Alfalfa is important for dairy goats because of the milk the give, even if not asked of them they are still predisposed to milking for 10 months and kidding with 2 or 3 or 4 kids. With our copper defficency problems and high iron, minerals become very important as does understanding that without dietary calcium in their diet everyday, they can't absorb the calcium cabonate or sulfate in their diet and you will have pregnancy disease. Vicki